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Retired military leaders oppose foreign affairs budget cuts

Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post via Getty Images

In a joint letter to leaders of Congress, 151 retired three and four-star generals from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces denounced cuts to the International Affairs Budget, stressing the importance of "diplomacy and development alongside defense."

Why it matters: Many of the generals wrote a similar letter last year, after President Trump's proposed budget for 2018 slashed International Affairs spending — which funds organizations like the State Department, USAID and the Peace Corps — by nearly $20 million. Security challenges have not diminished since then, the letter states, and it would be irresponsible to "undercut our nation's ability to lead around the world in such turbulent times."